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The officials are planning to revise the by-laws related to vector-borne diseases formulated in 2006 and amended in 2014. (HT File )

Elimination of malaria from Chandigarh by 2018 is the new target of UT health department and to achieve this, officials are planning to adopt more strict oversight including enhancement of the challan fee.

The officials are planning to revise the by-laws related to vector-borne diseases formulated in 2006 and amended in 2014.

“We are planning to amend the rules for prevention and control of malaria, dengue and Japanese encephalitis, 2014, and for this, meetings are being conducted. The purpose is to make the by-laws more strict. Currently, the challan fee for defaulters is only ₹500 but we will increase it,” said Dr Gaurav Aggarwal, anti-malaria officer, UT health department.

He said the amount has not been decided yet, but the penalty is likely to be increased by June this year.

The department is all set to take stern actions against the defaulters and will seal the places where mosquito breeding is found positive.

Last year, 3,435 defaulters were issued notices, 15 were issued show-cause notices and only 58 were issued challans.

“This year, more number of challans will be issued," Dr Aggarwal said, adding that department had identified 651 mosquito breeding sites in Chandigarh last year while sealing 300 of them. “We will identify more breeding sites and close all of them," said the officer.